Combination burial liner and vault and method of burial



Jan. 25, 1966 J, R. CHRISTENSEN 3,230,674

COMBINATION BURIAL LINER AND VAULT AND METHOD OF BURIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24. .1961

INVENTOR. John R. Christensen Attorneys IN VEN TOR.

Jan. 25, 1966 J. R. CHRISTENSEN COMBINATION BURIAL LINER AND VAULT AND METHOD OF BURIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24 19 61 Attorneys y John R. Christensen @2 44 94$) United States Patent 3,230,674 COMBINATION BURIAL LINER AND VAULT AND METHOD OF BURIAL John R. Christensen, 1817 Ashton Ave., Burlingame, Calif. Filed May 24, 1961, Ser. No. 112,406 1 Claim. (Cl. 52--127) This invention relates to a combination burial liner and vault and method of burial.

With the rapidly expanding population and with the decreasing availability of space for cemeteries, there is an increasing need for more efficient utilization of cemetery space and at the same time providing casket receiving containers which can be pre-buried and then opened for burial purposes with a minimum of damage to the turf in the cemetery.

In general, it is an object of the invention to provide a combination burial liner and vault which can be readily and economically manufactured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination liner and vault of the above character which is relatively light in weight and can be transported in a disassembled knocked-down form.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination burial liner and vault of the above character which can be readily assembled at the cemetery.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination double-decked burial liner and vault of the above character which can be preburied.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination burial liner and vault of the above character which can be cast in multiple sections without voids within a relatively short period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination burial liner and vault of the above character which can be handled without special equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination burial liner and vault which can be used as a liner or vault with minor additions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination burial liner and vault of the above character in which superposed crypts are provided, or casket receiving compartments are provided.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a combination burial liner and vault incorporating my invention.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of my combination burial liner and vault.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of a plurality of my combination burial liners and vaults arranged side by side.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of a lid of the combination burial liner and vault with portions of the lid being broken away to show the type of reinforcing utilized for the lid.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail view showing another embodiment of the means for supporting the shutter utilized in the combination burial liner and vault.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the shutter supporting means in FIGURE 5.

In general, my combination liner and vault consists of a rectangular box with an open top having bottom, end and side walls. It also consists of a collar mounted on the box with an open top and bottom. The collar has side and end walls of approximately the same dimensions as the end and side walls of the box. Cooperative mating means is carried by the box on the collar to prevent side wise and lengthwise movement of the collar with respect to the box. Shutter means is mounted within the collar and box and serves to divide the collar and box into two crypts or casket receiving compartments. A lid is mounted on the top of the collar and serves to enclose the space defined by the box and the collar. Cooperative mating means is provided to prevent sidewise and lengthwise movement of the lid with respect to the box.

As shown in the drawings, my combination burial liner and vault consists of a rectangular box 11 having an open top side and which is provided with parallel spaced side walls 12, spaced parallel end walls 13, and a bottom wall 14 extending in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the side and end walls 12 and 13. The box is formed of suitable material such as concrete reinforced in a suitable manner by reinforcing 16, such as by reinforced wire mesh and reinforcing rods as shown in the drawings.

It will be noted as shown in the drawings, that the upper and lower margins of the side and end walls 12 and 13 may have a greater thickness to strengthen the same so as to make the box 11 relatively strong, while at the same time keeping the weight of the box to a minimum. Those portions having a greater thickness facilitate the handling of the box 11 by means of slings which can be placed around the box. The side and end walls 12 and 13 are provided with exterior tapered portions 18 which join thicker portions of the walls with the thinner intermediate portions of the walls. These inclined or tapered portions 18, in addition, give an overall pleasing appearance to the box.

A collar 21 having an open top and bottom and being of the same rectangular shape as the box 11 is mounted on the box. It is provided with spaced parallel side walls 22 and spaced parallel end walls 23 having substantially the same dimensions as the side and end walls 12 and 13 of the box 11. The collar 21 is formed in a manner similar to the box 11 with the exception that the bottom wall is omitted. As shown, it is also formed of concrete reinforced in a suitable manner by reinforcing 24. The side and end walls are also provided with upper and lower extremities of greater thickness to strengthen the top and bottom margins of the walls. Tapered portions 26 are provided on the side and end walls of the collar and also serve to add to the pleasing appearance of the combination liner and vault;

Cooperative mating means is carried by the collar and box 11 to prevent sidewise and lengthwise movement of the collar with respect to the box. The cooperative mating means consists of a male tongue 28 provided on the top surface of the side and end walls 12 and 13 and a female groove 29 provided in the lower surfaces of the side and end walls 22 and 23 of the collar. As shown in the drawing, the tongue 28 is adapted to seat within the groove 29 and serves to prevent sidewise and lengthwise movemen of the collar 21 with respect to the box 11.

A lid 31 is mounted on the top of the collar 21. It is substantially rectangular as shown and has a dimension which is only slightly less than the exterior dimensions of the upper portion of the collar 21 as shown particularly in FIGURE 4. The lid 21 is substantially planar as shown and is formed of a suitable material such as concrete reinforced by reinforcing members 32. The lower surface of the lid is provided with a plurality of recesses 33 for the purpose of reducing the weight of the lid. The lid is provided with a recess 34 which extends around the outer perimeter of the lid and which is adapted to receive the upper extremity of the collar 21 as shown in FIGURE 3. The recess provided in the lid 34, in combination with the upper extremity of the collar 21, serves to provide cooperative mating means to prevent lengthwise and sidewise movement of the lid 31 in the same manner that the cooperative mating means provided between the collar 21 and the box 11 and serves to prevent side'wise and lengthwise movement. This cooperative mating means also serves to strengthen the box 11 with respect to lateral and longitudinal forces applied to the box. A female groove is provided in the lid and is adapted to accommodate the tongue provided on the box 11 to provide a single vault or liner construction as hereinafter described. Handles .38 are embedded within the lid 31, and are provided for the purpose of facilitating raising and lowering the lid.

Shutter means 43 is provided within the space defined by the box 11, the collar 21 and the lid 31 to divide the space into two separate casket receiving compartments or crypts 41 and 42. The shutter means 43 can be one single member or it can be three separate shutter members 44 as shown particularly in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. It has been found that it is easier to handle three separate shutter members 44 rather than a single shutter member. If desired, suitable means can be provided such as handles (not shown) to facilitate lifting of the shutter members.

The shutter means can be supported within the space in any suitable manner as, for example as shown in FIG- URES and 6, by plugs 46 inserted into rectangular recesses 47 provided in the upper extremities of the side and end Walls 12 and 13 of the box 11. If desired, the plugs can also be inserted in the lower extremities of the collar 21. The plugs 46 can be formed in any suitable manner. For example, they can be solid pieces of a non-corrosive metal, or they can be formed of concrete encircled with a non-corrosive metal band 4-8.

Another type of shutter supporting means is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 and consists of U-.shaped non-corrosive wire members 49 which are inserted in holes 50 provided in the side walls of the box 11. After the members are put in place the holes 50 can be sealed if desired.

Use of my combination burial liner and vault in my method of burying can be briefly described as follows. Normally, when it is desired to utilize my combination burial liners and vaults, it is desirable to dig a large trench in the cemetery having a width slightly greater than the length of my combination grave burial liner and vault. Substantially all of the earth is removed because it is no longer required. After the trench has been dug, the combination burial liners and vaults are preburied by assembling on the site by first lowering the box 11, then lowering the collar 21 on top of the box, and then placing the lid 31 on top of the collar. The shutters 44 may or may not be inserted at this time. The combination liners and vaults are arranged side by side to save space as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. After the trench has been filled with the combination liners and vaults, the remaining spaces around the ends of the combination liners and vaults are filled with earth and then the earth overlying the same is planted in a conventional manner. The trenches are spaced in such a manner so that the conventional cemetery equipment can be utilized for placing caskets in the liners or vaults.

When the collars and lids are mounted on the boxes 11 Without any suitable sealing material, they are normally called liners because they are not air-tight. If it is desired that they be air-tight so that they can be used as vaults, a suitable sealing compound 52 such as an epoxy resin or approved asphaltic material is placed in the cooperative mating means between the collar and the box, and between the lid and the collar as shown in FIGURE 3. When preburying the combination liners and vaults to utilize the same as vaults, it is only necessary to place the sealing compound between the collar and the box. The sealing compound between the lid and the collar needonly be put in place after the caskets have been lowered into the vault.

When it is desired to place the caskets within one of the pie-buried vaults or liners, it is merely necessary to strip the sod or turf 51 from over the lid 31 and to remove the lid. Then, assuming that a casket has not been placed in the lower compartment 41, the casket can be lowered into the lower compartment. Thereafter, the shutters 44 are lowered into place onto the plugs 46, or Wire members 49, which previously have been inserted. If it is desired to seal the lower compartment, suitable sealing compound can be placed between the shutters 44 and the walls of the box 11 to seal the lower compartment. Then, assuming that the other compartment is to be utilized for another member of the family when he dies, the lid 31 is put back in place and earth is put over the lid. When the next member of the family dies, the turf 51 is again removed and the lid is raised to permit lowering of the second casket into the top compartment. Thereafter, assuming that it is to be sealed to form a vault, suitable sealing compound is placed in the groove 36 to form an air-tight seal. Thereafter, the turf is put back in place over the lid.

From this method of burying, it can be seen that by preburying the combination vaults or liners, and then by removing a small layer of sod on top of the lid 31, it is not necessary to move in large digging equipment or the like to remove quantities of earth to form a grave as is the conventional practice. In the same manner, it is not necessary to move in heavy equipment over the cemetery property which would produce nits in the cemetery and destroy grass, shrubs and the like to detract from the appearance of the cemetery. My combination burial vault and liner and method of burying makes it possible to carry out burying efliciently and economically, while at the same time reducing cemetery maintenance to a minimum. By making it possible to readily bury caskets one above the other and by making it possible to place the vaults or liners side by side, a very efficient space utilization is obtained.

The combination burial vaults and liners are constructed in such a manner that they can be shipped in a knockeddown or disassembled form which therefore makes it possible to transport the same from the factory to the cemetery with conventional equipment. Such would not be possible if the box 11 and the collar 21 were constructed as a unit. My construction is also advantageous in that it is possible to utilize the same for forming a single burial vault or liner. This can be accomplished merely by utilizing box 11 and a lid 31. The lid 31 is formed in such a manner that it will fit over the top of the box to provide a single burial liner or vault. If required by the soil conditions, drainage holes may be provided in the box 11 and the collar 21.

I claim:

In a combination burial liner and vault, an integral rectangular box with an open top, said rectangular box having parallel spaced end walls and parallel spaced side Walls with planar vertical inner wall surfaces and a bottom wall perpendicular to the side and end walls, an integral separate rectangular box-like collar removably mounted on the box, the collar having an open top and bottom, said collar having spaced parallel side and end walls of approximately the same dimensions as the end and side walls of the rectangular box with the planar vertical inner wall surfaces being in alignment with the planar vertical inner wall surfaces of the box, cooperative mating means carried by'the box and the collar to prevent substantial sidewise and lengthwise movement of the collar with respect to the box, a lid mounted on the collar, the lid being substantially planar in form, cooperative mating means carried by the lid and the collar to prevent substantial sidewise and lengthwise movement of the lid with respect to the collar, a plurality of removable shutter means disposed within the enclosure formed by said box and said collar, and removable separate individual supporting elements adapted to be snugly retained within the collar and the box for supporting the shutter means so that the shutter means serves to divide the space defined by the box, collar and lid into two superposed casket receiving compartments, said removable individual supporting elements being disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom wall of the box and vertically in said space defined by the box, collar and lid in the vicinity of the juncture between said box and said collar and being supported solely by the walls of said box and said collar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 755,866 3/1904 Freeman 5094 765,502 7/ 1904 Merkley 50408 834,204 10/1906 Hodges 5093 1,764,134 6/1930 Young 50178 1,912,790 6/1933 Payne 5098 1,964,234 6/1934 Vogel 5093 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria. France. France- France.

Great Britain. Italy.

Sweden.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM S. MUSHAKE, HENRY C. SUTHERLAND,

Examiners. 

